Improvement in sewing-machines



2 Sheets-*Sheet 0. L. REYNOLDS. Sewing Machine.

Ptentd March 30, 1858.

N. Pneus. Pmmumogmpm. mamma. n.0.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2',

A0. L REYNOLDS. Sewing Machine.

Patented March 30, 1858.

Fay. 2

UNITED i STATES APi-xfrEnT OFFICE.

O. REYNOLDS, 0F DOVER, NEV HAMPSHIRE. I

IMPROVEMENT IN SEWING-MACHINES.

Specilication forming .part of Letters Patent No. 39,753, dated March 30, 1858.

To wZ whom-it may concern:

Be it known that I, O. L. REYNoLDs, of Dover, in the county o f Straiford and State ofNew Hampshire, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sewing-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eXact descriptionof the same, reference being had to the accompanying draw-v ings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a .vertical section of a machine with my improvement, taken in a plane passing close to the needle in a direction parallel to the feed movement or line of sewing. Fig. 2 is -a vertical section of the machine, taken `in a plane passing close to the needle at right angles to Fig. l. Fig. 3 is an inverted plan of the same. Fig. 4 is an inverted plan of the looper and the loop-distender, which constitutes the principal Vfeature of my invention. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the points of the looperand loop-distender, showingtheir combined operation.

Similar letters of reference indicatel corre- To enable those skilled in the art to make' and use my invention, I will describe its construction and operation.

A is the bed-plate of the machine, on the upper iiat surface of which the cloth or other material being sewed is support-ed.

B is the standard, in which work the needlebar C and the leg D of the pressure-pad D.

E is the main shaft, driving the needle-bar by means of an eccentric wrist, c, which works in a slot,` b, in an elbow-lever, F, which works on a fulcrum, c, and connects with the needlebar.

G is the feed-bar, (best shown in Fig. 1,) carrying the serrated feeding-dog o", and having a horizontal longitudinal motion in guides d c, in the latter of which it is permitted a slight vertical motion, though it has a spring, f, ap-

plied to force it toward 'the bottom ofthe guide. The feed-bar Gderives its longitudinal motion, and also a vertical motion to lift up the dog for the purpose of making it bite the material, from another bar, H, which works longitudinally and horizontally below it in a guide, j, but in a direction at right angles to it. This bar H receives its motion from the elbow-lever F by a connection with the lower extremity thereof. It produces the longitudinal motion of the feed-bar G by the action of a wedgeshaped portion, g', of one of its sides on a pin, g, on the feed-bar, combined with the action of .a spring, h, and it produces the vertical motion by the action on the under side of the feed-bar of an inclined projection, i, on its upper face.

Z is the looper, the operative part of which does not differ materially in its form and construction from that employed in some other sewing-machines, it yhavingv la point which passes close to the needle a after the latter has been protruded and has carried the thread through the material, and having a shoulder, 6, on its under side at a short distance from the point, as-shown in Figs-1, 2, 4, and 5. This looper Z forms part of a horizontal lever, L, which works .on a fulcrum, k, close to the under side of the bed-plate. It is driven in between the needle and thread to effect the rformation of the loop by the action on the elbow m of its lever of a pin, s, attached to the bar H, the saidbar moving in the direction of Athe arrow 7, Fig. 3, and after it has movedi far enough past the needle a, which commences to rise while it (the looper) advances, the bark y is held stationary during the latter portion o'f the ascent and the greater portion of the following descent of the needle by the pin s passing along the straight-edged. portion o of the lever and back again as far as the elbow-m,

after which it is drawn out of the loop by the action of a spring, p, upon a small pin or projection, p', on its under side. l

In order to provide for' the adjustment of the pin s to give the looper the proper movement, the said pin is not attached directly to the bar H, but to an elbow-piece, H, which is secured to said bar by screws q q', the latter of which passes through a slot, q2, which permits the elbow-piece to move and be adjusted on the screw q.

t is the loop-distender, constituting one arm 'of an @mow-lever, T, which werks on a fuicrum, t', under the bed-plate A. This lever is retracted, holds the said arm against a Xed pin, u', secured in the bed-plate, and holds the point of the loop-distender at a short distance from the needle and in such a position relatively thereto (shown in Fig. 4) that the looper, after its point has passed the needle a short distance, will pass in contact with it, and in so doing will pass between it and the needle in the manner shownvin Figs. 3 and 5', where the looper is shown as having completed its advance through the loop. The side of the looper which works' next the needle is in the form of an are described from the center of k,- but as it is taper the opposite side acts like a wedge upon the loop-distender and gradually forces the latter away from the needle. The spring u, however, keeps the point ofthe loopdistender in close contact with the looper after the latter comes in Contact with the said point. The side of the looper toward the loop-distender has a slight groove, n, formed in it for the point of the loop-distender to work in.

The distension of the loop by means of the loop-distender and looper is effected in the 'following manner: As soon as the looper has passed a very short distance between the needle and thread, in the usual manner, andc'om menced the formation of the loop, the 'ris'e of the needle, which commences at about the saine time as the advance 'of the looper, brings the bottom of the loop so high that the shoulder 6 of the looper comes in contact with the loop and carries it along until it brings one side of it into contact with the point of the loop-distender, which stops that side, while the continued motion of the looper carries on the other side. At the same time that the looper carries along the one side of loop, it, by

its taper form and Vwedge-like action on the loop-distender7 causes the point ofthe latter to carry that side of the loop which it has arrested in the opposite direction to that in which the looper carries the other side; and hence as the movement of the looper is transverse to the direction of the feed movement (which is indicated in Figs. 4 and 5 by the arrow 10) the loop is distended in both directions laterally to the seam. The feed move` ment takes place after the looper has com-y pleted its advance, and while it still remains stationary in the loop, and this movement, distending the loop in a longitudinal direction, completes its distension in all directions, bringit to the condition represented in red outline in Figs. 2, 3, and 5, which position affords ample room for the needle to enter it without any probability of failure.

The operation of the loop-distender and looper is best represented in Fig. 5. The groove 'u in the looper serves the purpose of insuring the catching of the thread by the point of the loop-distender and preventing the cutting of the thread by the said point by leaving a space between the'thread and the looper where the loop-distender operates.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent7 is- The loopdistender t, operated by and operating in combination with the shouldered looper Z, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

O. L. REYNOLDS. YVitnesses:

BENJA. G. OnGAN, EDWARD M. CHRISTIE. 

